Colorado Club Q shooting suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich charged with murder, hate crimes, and assault

Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, has been charged with murder and hate crimes. Credit: AP

The suspect accused of killing five people and injuring 17 in a Colorado gay nightclub has been charged with 305 criminal counts, including hate crimes and murder. Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, who is being held without bail, was in court for the hearing but did not speak or enter a plea.

Police say Aldrich entered Club Q, a sanctuary for the LGBTQ community in the mostly conservative city of Colorado Springs, just before midnight on November 19 and opened fire.

The alleged gunman was subdued by patrons who wrested the suspect - armed with multiple firearms, including an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle - to the ground.

At an earlier hearing days after the attack, Aldrich appeared in court covered in bruises. “We are not going to tolerate actions against community members based on their sexual identity,” District Attorney Michael Allen said.

“Members of that community have been harassed, intimidated and abused for too long.”